Douglas Evans (1)

I read this a few times as a kid. It was awesome, and I was so curious if anyone lived above our elementary school classroom. There was an indelible urban legend, though, that there was a coffin buried on school grounds where playground equipment ended and woods began. -That- chilled me to the bone at the time but I always pretended to giggle. As an adult when I think about it, that urban legend makes no sense. I might write a short story and -make- it make sense. Ooh, ideas. Reading this show more book as an adult--I was a little disappointed to find out just how many of the stories had become bland to me. One or two made me giggle, and another made me burst out laughing. My favorite remains "Kenneth's Purple Reader." The ending story was scary to me as a kid! Now, it's...there was an odd focus on pigeon droppings. I'm not sure if that was for dramatic effect or comedic relief or what. I highly recommend this book to little kids, and like to think they find out safely if there's a ghost of a teacher above their classrooms. show less

Bradley hates school and everything to do with it. He hates getting up in the morning; he hates getting on the school bus; he hates sitting in the classroom; but most of all he hates his new teacher, Mrs. Gross. Bradley doesn't typically pay attention in school, until one day Mrs. Gross starts teaching the class some very odd things, and then whisks the zombie-like children away to an island where Bradley discovers teachers come from.

This is such a creative social criticism. I don’t show more normally like fantastical stories, but this was just so cute and well done. The island where teachers come from was a very well devised and executed concept. I will definitely be saving this book for my little brother. show less

The Elevator Family by Douglas Evans is the story of a strange family who come to visit San Francisco at a place like the Palace Hotel (but not) and end up spending their vacation in an elevator. It's a Yearling book and feels like a throwback to the ridiculous early chapter books published when I was a child.

These books work like situation comedies and are about as short as one as they come in under 100 pages. The problem is that for these books to play out their situation it requires very show more naive, stupid, or clueless protagonists. In this case, it's a family who somehow has the wherewithal to travel around the country and make it to a big city such as San Francisco but have still never heard of the concept of an elevator or lift. The other piece of the equation is that everyone else — the so called normal folks — have to treat the main characters as if nothing is wrong.

But of course, as these things go, the odd ball family makes instant friends with everyone they meet. The hotel doesn't evict them even though they are squatting in an elevator and steeling other guests' room service. In this case, the family befriends the bellhop, the flower shop gal, and a woman who lives in the hotel with her yappy dog. Together they manage to save the local newspaper baron's daughter from kidnappers.

And that brings up my last gripe with this book. San Francisco is a real place with a rich and already somewhat goofy history. But this book (written by a then Berkley based author) tosses in idiotic pseudo-facts about the area, like the Golden Gate bridge being named for someone named Goldengate. Really? If you want to do that sort of thing, just make a place. show less

MVP stands for Magellan Voyage Project -- a tantalizing challenge made to 12 year-old Adam Story to travel around the world alone, all expenses paid (surface only) in 40 days. Adam receives this offer from a mysterious prince of an obscure place that is no longer a country. Adam is a loner with an adventurous spirit and thirst for travel, so he takes the challenge and embarks (Adam's single mother has enrolled him, coincidently, in 40-days of summer camp, and MVP has conveniently 'made show more arrangements'). Only after Adam is halfway across the country does he realize that he is not the only one -- there are 24 12 year-olds competing against him, with their own royal backers, along with game referees, trackers who kidnap and detain contestants, and more sinister hunters in the employ of the particularly nasty Baron von Sheepsbottom. A fun [Around the World in 80 Days] -like adventure that boys (and girls) 4th grade and up would enjoy.

Evans, D. & Shelley, J. (2004). MVP* : *Magellan Voyage Project. Asheville, N.C: Front Street show less